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The carrom ball got its name from the very popular tabletop indoor game that we all enjoy playing at our homes. To many it may sound to be the famous indoor game “Carrom Board”, but that is not what I am talking about. The carrom ball is a style of spin bowling delivery used in cricket.

Carrom Ball

Carrom ball is where the ball is held between the thumb, fore finger and the middle finger and instead of a conventional release, is squeezed out and flicked by the fingers like how a disc is flicked on a carrom board. The use of the carrom ball is known to date back to 1940 where Australian Jack Iverson from Victoria was the first bowler to use this style of spin and it was re-introduced into international cricket again in 2008 by Ajantha Mendis from Srilanka. But we are familiar only after the arrival of famous mystery spinner Ravichandran Ashwin of India.

Has anyone tried a Carrom ball before? No worries… I can explain a Carrom ball for those to try if you don’t know it. It’s well worthwhile.

How to bowl a Carrom Ball.?

Carrom spin is similar to the flicking made in Carroms.

This is one of the hardest balls to bowl in cricket. This is a type of spin where the thumb, fore finger and the middle finger comes into play.

The carrom ball is bowled by placing the index finger on the seam and the thumb below the ball. Now the ball has been gripped between the thumb and index finger. The next step is done by placing the middle finger folder underneath the seam of the ball (similar to how you get ready to strike a carrom with your middle finger), supporting the ball.

At the time of delivery the middle finger is pushed out (similar to the strike in caroms) by flicking it quickly. This causes the ball to not only spin like a regular leg-break but also provides it the additional lateral force to skid or shoot through causing further difficulty to the batsman.

When the middle finger is gripped towards the leg side, the ball spins from leg to off; when the middle finger is gripped towards the off side, the ball spins from off to leg. Depending on the degree the ball is gripped towards the leg side, the carrom ball could also travel straight. The carrom ball can therefore spin to either the off or leg sides or travel straight.

Carrom spin can be considered a third category of spin bowling after leg spin and off spin.

The carrom ball is similar to the “Doosra” that Muthiah Muralitharan delivers and much more effective than”Doosra”.

Our love for cricket is unending. Now the secret formula for the mystery spin is in your hands. So what you’re waiting for? Go give a try.